The Music Box
by goldengreaser
Summary: Sodapop recalls his favorite memories with his mother.


**Disclaimer- I do not own **_**The Outsiders**_**.**

My mother's name was Margaret Elizabeth Kirkuk Curtis and I used to think she was the most beautiful woman in the entire world. She was absolutely stunning and graceful; her home cooked meals were amazing. Oh and she smelled awful sweet too.

Ma had a way of making us all feel special and loved. I always felt pretty dumb, I never made close to the grades my brothers did. But mama never doubted me. I remember no matter how long it took she would sit there, explaining things; showing how to rework I math problem.

Mama never had much. Dad couldn't afford to buy her a bunch of fancy jewelry or mink coats. I remember though she had this one thing pretty, one thing nice. When mama left home with nothing but the cloths on her back and a music box that opened with a locket.

Her parents had not approved of dad, he was from the wrong side of the tracks, so they ran off together. The only thing of value she was able to take was her music box and locket. She had it every since she was a little girl. Mama loved that music box and I did to.

It played Dance of the Blessed Spirits and everywhere mama went she would hum that sung. I used to like to watch her fix her hair as the music box played. It had a couple that would dance around in a circle and it seemed to me that mama was dancing while she did this.

When I was five mama got a little piano from the old man whose house she cleaned. She started to play that song. I wanted to learn how to play it so badly but I never could get it right. My hands, although they would be perfect for mechanics down the road, were not nimble enough yet to succeed.

But mama was patient and gentle, like I never was. She waited and waited until finally I got it right. She hugged me tightly and kissed my forehead. "I am so proud of you Soda." She said smiling. I was eleven then and pushed mama away. Littler boys just don't like coming off as a mama's boy. I regret that now.

Mama taught me to dance to with that music box. I was eight and she and daddy were going to a new years eve party. She applied lipstick to the music as I walked into the room. When she saw me mama grinned. "Hello handsome." She said sweetly.

I smiled goofily and gave a small wave. "Can I have this dance?" she asked standing up.

"I can't dance mama." My mother laughed. "Oh sure you can. Come here."

I grabbed mama's hand and she restarted the music box. She bent over and took both my chubby little hands in hers. "Okay follow me Soda." And we moved across her bedroom floor. Now I love dancing, all thanks to mama and her music box.

Mama died in a car wreck with dad when I was just sixteen. I miss her so much. I never told my brothers about it but when nobody was around I would start her music box and lie on the bed and cry and cry.

A hurt like that just doesn't go away. My little brother Ponyboy is the one with the imagination, but laying on their bed hearing the notes of Dance of the Blessed Spirits I could almost see the music box change. All of a sudden it was my parents dancing back and forth to the music.

When I decided to get married Darry gave me the music box and the locket. "Mom would want you to have it." He said. "Maybe someday you'll have a little girl to give it to." I hugged him tight. Nothing could have meant more to me.

On September 23rd, 1980 my little girl Tanner Elizabeth was born and she was the light of my life from there on. Today is her thirteenth birthday and I'm going to give her the music box. She loves it as much as I did at her age.

We used to dance to it when she was little. We would waltz across the living room floor with Tanner standing on my feet. She would smile up at me and I would just grin at her.

My mother's name was Margaret Elizabeth Kirkuk Curtis and I used to think she was the most beautiful woman in the entire world until I looked in the eyes of my little Tanner. Then I knew why mama saw when she heard her music box play.

**A little OOC I know but this idea struck me when I was taking a nap. I had to write it down.**


End file.
